Pachimon Playing Cards
Quirky Pachimon playing cards from 1970s Japan, featuring unique monsters and aliens, given away with Kewpie mayonnaise.
Japan has always been the source of all things weird and wonderful and the Pachimon playing cards are a fine example of this. In the early 1970s, the Kewpie Corporation – manufacturers of Kewpie mayonnaise – issued trading cards of various monsters/aliens to be given away with mayonnaise. With creatures looking like a cross between Godzilla, Ultraman and God knows what else, these Pachimon (not to be confused with Pokemon) cards are a feast for the eyes. Speaking of feast, how many jars of mayonnaise would you have had to buy to get a complete set?
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By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.
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